A Nutty Valentine
by S.M. Jackson
Summary: One day before Valentine's Day, Theodore is hoping to get Eleanor a pair of earrings to go with the necklace he once gave her. However, when he is short of money, he tries to find a way to make some, despite others saying he should just tell her how much he cares about her, which is what the Holiday is truly about. Will his plan work or will his heart be crushed.


**Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! For those familiar with my stories, this is my third Theonore story based off of the current Holiday. Enjoy!**

On a lukewarm February afternoon, a young, chubby green clad Chipmunk was looking into the window of a jewelry store. In the window, he saw a set of earrings with crystals on it that resembled the necklace he once gave to a cute little Chipette by the name of Eleanor. As he kept looking, his older brothers came up behind him and Alvin asked, "What are you doing, Theodore?"

Theodore turned to his brother and answered, "I was looking at those earrings." Theodore pointed to the earrings in the window, "Valentine's Day is tomorrow and I was thinking of getting them for Eleanor."

"That may be a problem, Theodore," Simon adjusted his glasses as he explained, "Since those earrings cost two ninety-nine."

Theodore thought Simon meant $2.99 and replied, "3 dollars? Well, that's not so bad."

"No, Theodore. Three _hundred _dollars."

"What?!" Theodore shrieked and looked back at the price, "That's insane! I don't have that kind of money!" Theodore sadly placed his head on the glass of the window and groaned, "Oh, great. If I don't get those earrings by tomorrow, Eleanor will be crushed. I promised her I'd get those earrings no matter what."

Simon explained, "Calm down, Theodore. I'm sure Eleanor will understand. After all, you don't have to get a girl an expensive gift on Valentine's Day; you just need to tell her how much you care about her."

"Oh, please, Simon," Alvin groaned, "Everyone knows that only works in the movies."

Simon whispered to his eldest brother, "Not helping!"

"No. Alvin's right, Simon." Theodore picked his head back up, "I've got to get Eleanor those earrings!"

Theodore started running and Simon shouted, "Where are you going?!"

Theodore answered back, "To make some money and fast!"

Simon asked himself, "Why do I feel like this won't end well?"

Back at home, Theodore was in the room he shared with his brothers. He was sitting on the wooded floor and held in his hand a hammer, which he was about to use on the porcelain pig in front of him. Theodore said, "Sorry, Mr. Oinky." With a heavy heart and a loud gulp, Theo smashed the piggy bank into a thousand pieces! After smashing it, Theodore set the hammer aside and dusted the pieces of porcelain away from the money within. He picked up a small handful of dollar bills and counted it. Rather disappointed, he whined, "13 bucks?! That's nowhere _near _enough!"

After that, Theodore's step father, Dave Seville, walked into the room and asked, "Is everything alright? I thought I heard a crash."

Theodore stood up and turned around to see Dave, "Oh; Hi, Dave. That was just me breaking my piggy bank. I was hoping to use the money in it to buy Eleanor some earrings, but I'm a little short."

Dave asked, "How short, Theodore?"

Theodore asked, "What's 13 minus 300?"

Dave shouted, "300 _dollars_?! That's insane!"

"That's what _I_ said!"

"Well, I wish I could help, Theodore," Dave said, "But 300 dollars for earrings?"

"You don't understand, Dave," Theodore explained, "If I show up empty handed tomorrow, who knows what Eleanor will do?"

"I'm sure she'll understand, Theodore," Dave kneeled down and placed a hand on the chubby chipmunks shoulder, "After all, a girl doesn't need an expensive gift on Valentine's Day; she just needs to know how much she's loved."

"You sound like Simon."

Dave chuckled, "Well, he _is _the smart one." Dave stood up and walked away, but not without saying, "Take his advice and say it from the heart."

At that moment, Theodore had gotten an idea that would've come from Alvin's mind, "That's it! I'll give advice! People will come to me with their problems, I'll help them out, get the money, and buy Eleanor her earrings! Problem solved!"

Three hours later, Theodore had set up a stand near that house that resembled a lemonade stand, but had a sign that read, 'Advice, $10.' Unbelievably, people were actually lined up to seek his advice.

One man had asked, "So, I'm trying to decide whether I should take my wife to dinner or a movie tonight, since I'll be out of town tomorrow. What would you recommend?"

Theodore answered, "Why not both? Since you won't be around for Valentine's, just go all out!"

The man smacked himself on the forehead, "Of course; why didn't _I _think of that?!" The man pulled out a $10 bill and gave it to Theodore, "Thanks, kid!"

Theodore took the bill and said, "No; thank _you_." Theodore put the bill into a little jar and said, "Next!"

Before the next person, Simon and Alvin appeared and Simon asked, "Theodore?! What is all this?!"

"Hi, Simon; I'm giving these people advice for $10 so I can buy Eleanor's earrings!"

Simon rolled his eyes, "Really, Theodore? I'd expect this from Alvin, but not you!"

Alvin smiled, "Welcome to the dark side, bro!"

Simon sighed and said, "Hard to believe we're related. Just be careful, Theodore."

"Don't worry. I will!" As his brothers walked to the house, Theodore asked the person, "So, what's your problem?"

The next day, Valentine's Day, Theodore and his brothers were finishing their breakfast and started to leave the house. Theodore, with his jar of money in hand, and his brothers were going to stop at the jewelry store so he could buy the rings and then meet the Chipettes at the park. Simon and Alvin both had a simple Valentine's card in their hands for their respective counterparts, Jeanette and Brittany.

Theodore grinned, "This is great! I'll have enough to buy Eleanor's earrings _and _have some left over!"

Simon smiled and said, "I guess I was wrong, Theodore. You did it. You're advice really work."

Just then, as the boys came to the sidewalk, the group of people from yesterday showed up and the man who was suppose to be out of town said, "Hey, kid! We've come for our money back!"

Simon frowned, "I spoke too soon."

"What?" Theodore asked, "Why?"

The man explained, "Your advice has caused us nothing but trouble! Last night, my wife got food poisoning at the restaurant we went to and then someone mugged us after our movie!"

A woman explained, "And your suggestion of mixing bleach and ammonia almost made me make mustard gas! I'm lucky my husband stopped me in time!"

A teenage boy explained, "And your 'make a mural' suggestion got me arrested for graffiti!"

Theodore gulped and said, "Oh, boy."

A half hour later, the Chipmunks were in the park, waiting on the Chipettes. Theodore held an empty jar in his hands and sighed, "I can't believe it. I was so close. They took everything, even my own $13."

Alvin told him, "Now you know my pain." This made him receive a punch to the arm by Simon, "Ow!"

Simon explained, "I know it hurts, Theodore, but maybe this was fates way of saying to just tell Eleanor how much you care about her."

Theodore sighed, "I guess."

Not a moment later, two of the three Chipettes, Jeanette and Brittany, approached the group of Chipmunks. They both told the group, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Theodore asked, "Where's Eleanor?"

Brittany explained, "She had to use the bathroom."

Jeanette finished, "She'll be along shortly."

After that, Theodore's brothers got up from the bench and walked over to their counterparts. As they walked to opposite sides of the park for some privacy, Theodore said to himself, "I don't know. Maybe Simon's right." Unknown to him, Eleanor walked up behind him, so he just kept on saying, "But I just don't get it. I'm supposed to just tell Eleanor how much I care about her? I'm supposed to let her know how nice, caring, and wonderful she is? That she's probably the greatest girl I've ever met?" Eleanor said nothing as he spoke and started smiling from his words, "I mean, I really do like her and I couldn't even get her some stupid earrings."

"Oh, Theodore…"

Theodore gasped and jumped off the bench, whipped around and saw her, "Eleanor! D-d-Did you hear me just now?"

Eleanor approached the young chipmunk and answered, "Every word. Theodore, I don't care if you couldn't get me those earrings. All I really wanted was to know you cared about me."

Theodore smiled and asked, "Really?"

"Really," Eleanor gave Theodore a great big hug and when the hug was finished, she gave him a quick peck on the lips. This caused both of them to blush a dark red color, "Happy Valentine's Day, Theodore."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Eleanor."

Both younglings joined in another hug as their siblings watched from afraid. Jeanette sighed and asked, "Isn't that adorable?"

Alvin grinned and said, "See? I told him that would work."

Simon rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, brother!"


End file.
